Monday, December 17, 2012

If it looks like a fish.....

I love Jordan McAllister!

Hi, my name is George Christakis, and I own the famous Chez
Lui Restaurant in New York City.
I also star in my own celebrity cooking show on cable TV.

So how would a guy from New York
who loves gourmet food meet up with the feisty redheaded culinary reporter from Ranchero, Texas? Did I mention
said redhead lives on fast food and wouldn’t know a canapé from a can of peas?

Well, when my friend signed on to sponsor the Caribbean Cook-Off on the fabulous Carnation Queen cruise ship with
the local radio station, she asked me to be a judge. Because no one suspects Jordan of being
so clueless in the kitchen, she was also asked to judge.

Oh boy! Here's where it gets good.

You should have seen her face when she had to taste some of
the delicacies! But she was a real trooper, especially when pretty boy
Stefano fell face first into his signature halibut dish on opening night.

I have to say that even though Jordan may never be a Top Chef
contender, she sure knows what to do when something looks "fishy."

Sorry. That’s all I’m allowed to tell. You'll have to pick
up a copy of MURDER FOR THE HALIBUT, releasing January 1, to find out what
happened.

Since we're having such a cozy Christmas here at Killer Characters,
please leave a comment to win an autographed copy of MURDER FOR THE HALIBUT. If you have a
problem leaving a comment, you may send it to me at Liz@Liz Lipperman.com.

Here's the question of the day:

If you've been on a cruise, what was your favorite part? The food? The entertainment? The sights? If you haven't, think about it and guess which part interests you more.Come back tomorrow to see if you've won. Even if you don't win, keep in mind that you've got a ton of chances all month. And remember that paperback cozy mysteries are exactly the right size to fit in Christmas stockings.

I have not been on a cruise but I know you'd never get me away from the food and then just the plain joy of riding on deck, in a comfy chair with a good book! Good luck on your new book, sounds great!Lynn/MI

This summer a friend and I took a cruise to Alaska. The food, the entertainment, the ship, the sights - all were terrific! But the best thing we did was take a helicopter ride, land on a glacier and walk on it!

I have not had the opportunity to take a cruise, but my husband and I are registered to take an Alaskan Cruise, Sept, 2013. I'm looking forward to this trip because I've heard so many good things about cruises. And we haven't had a real vacation in a few years. Our two daughters have talked about cruises, the food, the shopping, the sightseeing. Sounds wonderful!

DJ, you're right. As great as the food is, nothing beats the scenery, especially when the boat is leaving the port and you see the city in a panoramic view. Usually, the ship docks while you're sleeping, so you only get it when you leave.

There is nightly entertainment plus activities going all all day long on the days you are at sea. When the ship docks, there are many excursions available or you can just see the islands on your own. I always loved the shopping, and I actually have the purse that Jordan buys in St. Marten.

Again, I can only say the food is awesome. I'm a big junk food eater (liker my heroine Jordan) and I love the grills where I can get burgers, dogs, fries, and pizza all day long. Then at night I venture out to the swanky dining rooms and I even try new stuff. I figure if I hate it they'll being me something else, or I can have two desserts--or three!!

I've never been on a cruise, I'm worried I'd get seasick! A friend of mine worked on a cruise ship as an entertainer for 2 years though-so I have pictures, postcards, and a few presents from his travels! I'd love visiting all the ports and exotic locals, but I'd rather stay home!

Katreader, you can get your MD to prescribe a medicated patch that goes behind your ear and lasts 3 days. I, too, get seasick easily, and the patches work like a dream. Of course, an added benefit to them is that they make the whole world more mellow--at least for me. I spend a lot of time thinking how wonderful everything is. LOL

Karen, how sweet to list being there with a loved one as the best thing. We are planning a cruise right now for the summer of 2014 when all of us (kids, grandkids, and other family members) are going on a cruise to celebrate our anniversary. I am paying a little every month for it. Can't wait to see my adorable grandkids having so much fun.

I went on one cruise to Mexico, almost 20 years ago. While I loved the buffets, the water was very rough so my appetite wasn't always as strong as usual. The most memorable part was a close encounter with a kind of Mexican raccoon at a marketplace!

Liz - I was walking through a courtyard when this animal with a long, black and white ringed tail sauntered out of a tree right in front of me. I looked at the vendors nearby obviously telegraphing my question of "What is that?" through my body language. Finally one of the shopkeepers smiled and said "Raccoon!" It certainly didn't look like the raccoons here in Michigan, but it was an experience that I will never forget. :)

Tom, I've never seen whales on a cruise, but I have seen dolphins swimming along the side of the ship. We did, however, go on a whale watching tour in Seattle once and saw many many whales who seemed to love all the attention they were getting.

I went on a cruise to Antarctica (from New Zealand - took forever to fly there). I won't say that the best thing was when I got to sit at the only dinner table with the ship's contingent of men without partners because my husband was seasick was my favorite - but... Nor will I say that the morning we had to stay in our rooms and eat from the mini-fridge for breakfast because of hurricane-force winds was a shining moment. But walking among penguins, visiting explorer's huts left behind in the early 1900s, and having snacks at the American Antarctica base was pretty neat.

Norma, that sounds fantastic. I've never been to this area, but you've made me want to go. And I love that you got to be Princess at a table full of men. Bet your hubby got better in a hurry. Thanks for sharing this wonderful story.

Mary Alice, I can almost smell it myself. It is such a great way to relax since you are almost totally away from computers and cellphones. I say almost because you can get access to both of these, but it's costly.

Another great reason for going on a cruise. I hadn't even thought about that one. And maybe you'll be lucky enough to win a free copy, Tina. it is Christmas, you know, and I'm guessing you've been a good girl all year. If any of you are friends of mine on Facebook, I just posted a short teaser for this book. If you aren't my friend, why not?? I'm a nice girl, too.

Hey, Kaye, the Alaskan cruise was terrific. We got a really good price and went with friends. It was about $75 a day. I hope you get to go.The glaciers were awesome. But even in June, it was cold. This Texas girl had to go out and buy a coat.

Never been on a cruise; I don't travel anymore. A European cruise would be great or to the Caribbean. They probably have them to Hawaii, too.

I'd probably love the food but I have no idea about what kind of entertainment they have. I did see a show once at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg and I think the characters were supposed to be on a cruise ship.

I'll have to become a Facebook friend of Liz. Thanks for inviting everyone.

I'm scaring myself because I've been on a European cruise, too. Geez! Do I live on these cruise ships? Actually, my brother-in-law is Italian, and he wanted to see where his grandparents were born, so he and my sister invited us to tag along. We started off in Barcelona and sailed to Nice, Venice, Rome, Palermo and a few others. Although it was extraordinary, I needed a vacation when we got home as we were constantly busy with tours in every city. Like I said, we always get the cheapest cabins since all we do there is sleep.

Went on a small ship (68 passengers on a ship that held 98) cruise up Alaska's Inside Passage from Seattle to Juneau. The best part - all of it. Food was memorable. Wildlife amazing. And the relaxed pace set by the Cruise West crew.

our family recently went on a disney cruise to the carribean. we took our three kids, my parents, and my grandmother, who is 80. she said it was the best vacation of her life! it was pretty easy getting used to relaxing, someone else cleaning your room and having delicious dinners every night. (one negative-i gained at least five pounds that week-lol) the pools, ocean, kids activities, and aquaduck slide were awesome, too...i can't pick any one thing! i highly recommend the disney cruise. every single staff member you even pass by treats you like a 'princess' (or prince). lots of things for adults and kids to do all day long. they even have a 'club' where you can leave your kids to be supervised and do fun stuff w/the counselors while you go and do whatever you want. love, love, loved it!

Kami, I have heard so many good things about the Disney cruises. The one we're looking at is a 7 day cruise out of Florida on Royal Caribbean that is geared for kids with clubs and lots of cartoon characters running around. I looked at the Disney cruise and thought I would get more bang for my buck with the 7 day cruise. Disney is twice the price, but I am envious and still may change my mind. Thanks for sharing your adventure.

I get sick easily, too, Mary, but I always get those patches I talked about. They are transdermal(through the skin) scopalomine and they completely take away my seasickness. If you ever get an opportunity to go on a cruise, be sure and get this prescription.

My favorite part of the cruise was when I walked off the ship for the last time. I have been on several and I always feel clastrophic and bored. I do not drink or gamble and everyone else is always drunk or gambling. I did get a lot of reding done

I don't do much drinking or gambling, either, Lexie, but I have never felt bored. I also love the reading time. As I mentioned earlier, cruises are not for every one. Hope you can get a cruise fix from reading Murder for the Halibut!!

I LOVE everything about cruises. The food, the entertainment, the destinations. It is great having everything included in one location. It makes it totally stress free. It is the perfect.vacation for teenagers too, as I guarantee they will never get bored. My daughters have loved it every single time. I can't wait for our next cruise. Thanks for the giveaway. Liz is my favorite author. :)

Ah, Stacie, you silver-tongued devil, you. An as I mentioned earlier. Everyone needs to check out the cruises in January and February as they are really cheap. It doesn't matter if it's cold where you are because you can go to a warm place.

And thanks to random.org, the winner of the autographed copy of MURDER FOR THE HALIBUT is Jilzee. Please send your snail mail address to Liz@LizLipperman.com

For anyone else, I will mail you an autographed bookmark if you send your address. It has been so much fun with my blog this month, and I have you wonderful readers to thank. Hoping all of you will pick up a copy of my book and give me a try if you haven't already.

I have never been on a real cruise but would love to! I have been on short ones take three hours or so.

One was on the river thar Mark Twain wrote about, I saw the island that where Huck Finn went. We were on a paddlewheel boat and it was a great experience to watch the watch splash over the wheels.

Another was of Lake Michigan. It feels like you are on the ocean. What I enjoyed the most was eavesdropping on two Dutch men telling what they would do to the lake if they could. Applying Dutch knowledge to make more land!

I also went on a two short cruise of the water that flows through the Mammoth Caves,one on top ot the river. The other one was inside the caves. I was young at the time and was trying to get into the boat and slipped. A handsome ranger caught me and gently set me down into the boat. I kept thinking of him for the remainder of the trip!

I took a three week tour of China and had a cruise of the Suzhou river. Suzhou is the Asian Venice of the World so we watched all the building on the sides and people living on boats. They waved to us. Some were washing their dishes in the river, other washing clothes with river water, some bathing. What I remember most of that trip was the people's smiles.

Also when I was young, we rode the Long Island ferry and saw the Statue of Liberty, tears in my eyes, United Nations building, boys diving from some cliffs.

So even if you can afford an overnight cruise, don't give up. You can still go on three hour ones. I have enjoyed all sorts of music on the boats, have eaten at the buffets (usually not the highlight because food is limited in vareity)enjoyed the sights and most of all the people.

Wow! I've often wondered if those under 24 hour cruises were worth it, and you've answered my question. There's something about being with a group of strangers having fun and enjoying the sights and the sounds that really intrigues me. Thanks so much for sharing that with us, Carol. Sorry you didn't post in time to win the book. But check out my FB page the first of the year as I will be on several blogs with giveaways, including my own, Mysteries and Margaritas.

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